Oil Patch to School House: One man’s journey toward school chaplaincy
Chaplain Gary Nilson
The heart of a chaplain cannot be taught, it is already within them. This drives them to say; “Yes!” and to enroll in the NSCA Academy to be trained and certified. This is the story of Chaplain Gary Nilson.
Un-expectedly, preparation came through his background with faith-based oilfield organizations, Gary’s international career as a petroleum engineer and leader prepared him to serve a variety of people around the world.
Now, he finds himself serving in an elementary school as a WatchDog (a father-figure role model) through Dads of Great Students®. Of course, that makes sense! Heart of a father can transition nicely into school chaplaincy.
Fluently bilingual in Spanish and English, along with a true understanding of cultural nuances gave him the underpinnings of inter-relational strengths. Cultural respect, developed through real life scenarios, while interacting with those in the oil industry in Argentina and Bolivia, translated well into the school system where cultural needs really matter.
Gary had a pivotal moment in Buenos Aires. After he offered his hands to God for whatever task needed. He was led to a locked church, and then to a food-pantry-delivery group within (barrio de miseria) —a place of misery and need. Reaching them, reached deeply into his own heart, leading to years of feeding the homeless. Ultimately, he opened Filling the Void chapters in Denver, Dallas, and Houston.
From Oil Patch to School House
A common thread with chaplains is that each person has a key to unlock the destiny of another. The question is, will both recognize it and follow through? For example, Jim Schmidt, NSCA Ambassador, introduced Gary Nilson to the Oilfield Christian Fellowship (OCF) and later invited him to the Oil Patch Chaplain training.
Being invited by someone who had a key and knew how to use it: connected Chaplain Nilson to his destiny, he attended a presentation about the National School Chaplain Association. And just like that, with a heart to make a difference in the lives of those navigating the school experience, he enrolled in NSCA Academy and became a Certified School Chaplain!
He currently serves as a much needed mentor; coming along side students and faculty while awaiting a chaplain position to become available.
What does the oil industry experience have to do with being a chaplain? (We could ask that same question to the fishermen that Jesus chose.) Nilson’s life experiences uncovered the compassion within; which drove him to take action to meet even the most basic need: Feed the hungry.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs(2006, February, McLeod, PhD). According to Maslow’s theory, people cannot progress to receiving other layers of help until their most basic needs are met; such as air, water, food and sleep.
Students struggle with learning in class if they are starving at home, don’t feel safe or are without proper shelter. Love, a sense of belonging, positive self-esteem, friendships and intimacy are next on the pyramid of basic needs. Finally, containing a personal drive toward full potential through self-actualization.
Mental health providers are trained to address those issues and their skill is needed. However, additionally and uniquely, chaplains help meet basic needs first, then the spiritual needs are met for those who voluntarily ask. Chaplains fill the spiritual void for wholeness that goes beyond the wheelhouse of physical and emotional methods.
A Typical School Day
Good morning Texas elementary school! Nilson greets students at 7:15 am dressed in a fluorescent orange vest with name tag clearly displayed.
Constant awareness of any emotional or physical needs, establishes a baseline to recognize any deviation from wellness. Crisis prevention, threat assessment, active shooter response, and certified for Stop The Bleed are specifically part of the NSCA chaplain training program.
NSCA encourages part-time school employees to consider becoming a certified school chaplain.
Chaplains lead by example in ethical and moral living; as well as modeling care for others. Nilson patrols the grounds, picking up stray trash and lost clothing. Stewardship and ownership are demonstrated as character building; not for academic success only, but in building forever-life-skills for a better society.
Gary assists in kindergarten and fourth-grade classrooms where opportunities arise to integrate age-appropriate tidbits from his engineering background and historical knowledge. He is present in all the spaces at school, building reliability and as a trusted mentor.
During classroom downtime, he shares about Texas history and science, which has helped him build a strong rapport with both students and staff. Nilson utilizes his knowledge of Hispanic history and culture to connect with students. For instance, He shares lessons about Martin De León, the founder of a Mexican Colony in Texas, and the "Espíritu de Jesus" brand.
Joy, self-respect and care for others is a demonstration through his own faith; which creates a sense of peace within the environment. Building trust is a much needed source of hope and confidence building for those who come to him with problems they don’t understand.
Academics improve! Students at the elementary school apply themselves after hearing chaplain Nilson’s stories of how self-discipline helped him become a petroleum engineer through rigorous study and delayed gratification. By example, he displays character and skills for successful living.
Building Student Rapport: Engagement with students is individualized. This meets the basic human need of belonging —being seen and heard. Soon, they "follow him around like little ducklings" during recess.
Professional Discernment: Drawing from decades of experiences while navigating complex international social and political circles in the oil industry, Chaplain Nilson builds relationships through professionalism. He ensures teachers know that he is there to support them, and they can feel comfortable knowing he is not an intrusion.
Putting faces with names is critical for showing faculty and students his sincerity in personally knowing them He provides customized care just for them.
Staying on duty until the last bell rings shows committment. Experience as a WatchDog (father-figure role model) provides a means of proving the next step of service. Chaplaincy can move from being misinterpreted as an oddity at school, to becoming a trusted presence. Seeing is believing.
A lot of people encountered in the community speak only Spanish. Nilson gets a unique opportunity to minister and share the Gospel with the community and famlies at large.
Several students and parents at the elementary school speak Portuguese, which Nilson learned while in Buenos Aires. This is immensely profound to new students who he welcomes in their Mother Tongue!
Greeting families in their mother tongue at the front door, creates an immediate sense of belonging, safety and assimilation into the full school experience. Any mental health provider will tell you how important cultural integration is for resilience.
GOAL: Chaplaincy acceptance within all schools in Texas and across America to fill a void in practical areas as well as the deep need for spiritual care.
PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES
Chaplain Nilson attended Colorado School of Mines. He worked for Marathon Oil Company (MOC) in Cody Wyoming after securing an academic scholarship from them while pursuing his undergraduate in Petroleum Engineering degree and later in their Denver Research Center (DRC).
All the cultural experiences and travel created a broad worldview, which is imperitive to chaplaincy.
Nilson was married in Guatemala and raising four children, which included fraternal twins. They moved to Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of Argentina as International Operations Manager for Anderman/Smith. His wife, Patricia was imperitive to his success with her cultural prowess and abilities to work along side him. During those years, Nilson learned to depend on his faith and that “growth occurs in the valleys”.
Stress was high, shaping and molding character and resolve. Some great success in bringing North American technology and processes to the Argentine oil patch (doing a major depletion study and introducing a full field waterflood).
SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
Church involvement: Nilson became active in the United Community Church (UCC). Services were held in a donated mansion by a Shell executive to the Church of Buenos Aires. He became a Sunday School Teacher and was elected as a Church Board member. He worked alongside dignItaries and co-coached little league baseball and soccer.
Cornerstone Experiences with God Toward Destiny
While praying thanksgiving for his family and life, Chaplain Nilson offered his hands to God for whatever task God would need. He had a disturbing experience of feeling the steering wheel of his car twist to the left catapulting him across five lanes of busy Buena Aires traffic, that ended Nilson in front of the church. the doors were locked, but the food pantry with a map and a fellow with instructions set Nilson on his path. As noted previously, this was the beginning of his mission to feed the hungry. He was beginning to get a clue what God had in mind for him. “Peter, feed my sheep!” John 21:17(c). He sponsored many Filling the Void chapters providing food.
Enabling Global Outreach: Nilson’s bilingualism facilitated partnership with leaders like Barboza in Bolivia. Cartons of Spanish Oilfield Christian Fellowship (OCF) Bibles were distributed; which helped his church launch an outreach. Later, the political climate in Bolivia became risky due to a new regime, and a colleague helped smuggle a case of Bibles
Financial Support: Within the cartons, $100 bill on page 51 was strategically placed in a Bible marked specifically for the receiver. This practice was continued with customary cash into the Bibles delivered by Nilson’s colleague to reach a native Indian tribe located high in the Andes mountains in a village called "Carmelito".
By providing Spanish OilPatch Bibles, missionary members of La Iglesia Evangelica del Nuevo Jerusalen were able to teach both Spanish and the Gospel to native indigenous people.
Another nudge toward chaplaincy: In Santa Cruz Nilson asked God to give him a little sign that he loved him. Almost instantly, he felt a young girl tugging at his elbow, and looking down into her eyes, he felt a jolt of pure love shoot through him! (At that time, he didn’t recognize that God was also giving him a heart for the children!)
Clearly, each time Nilson checked in with the Lord, he was given a direction further down the path and he was instrumental in getting Spanish Bibles where needed most. This is a clarion call for chaplains. Being available and saying yes!
Bread crumb trail to chaplaincy.
OKLAHOMA: After Devon sold off all their international assets, Nilson’s family was repatriated to Oklahoma City headquarters and attended Crossings Community Church.
Once God got him to Tulsa, he was exposed to the Oilfield Christian Fellowship through Mr. “Armadillo Jim Schmidt”, who was then director of the Tulsa Chapter of the OCF. Jim, an excellent chaplain recruiter is also the legislative lobbyist who was responsible for many states being connected to NSCA.
Attending an OilPatch Chaplain training course at Jim Schmidt’s ranch in Montgomery, TX. He met Rand Blair and many other gentlemen who became OilPatch Chaplains. There was a very limited budget, but Nilson was able to obtain some assistance from the DOE via REPSEA to do research into exotic topics as Stress Shadowing from Fracking unconventional reservoirs during horizontal well completions.
Fast forward, Nilson ended up in Turkey for a while, still maintaining Filling the Void food delivery chapters at home and abroad. Community outreach gave him vast experience in caring for those in the school chaplain atmosphere.
Further down the breadcrumb road, Nilson was still on the Mission Board for local Missions. Ex-missionaries from Kazakhstan, ex-NFL Referee convinced him to enroll in the Perspectives of the Christian Movement course which consisted of 15 weeks of intensive study and a final “Project” which turned out to be great preparation for the NSCA Academy! Disciples were made, which exponentially magnified the food delivery outreach as well as the gospel, prayers and baptisms.
Reconnected with “Armidillo” Jim Schmidt, Nilson attended the National School Chaplain Association Chapter meeting and heard speaker Nick Vujcic as well as NSCA founder Rocky and wife Joske Malloy.
At that NSCA Chapter Meeting, Gary Nilson was at destiny’s door! He enrolled in NSCA Academy and became a School Chaplain December 2025!
Any school district would find Chaplain Gary Nilson a well-rounded asset.
To put it in the words of one Texas school superintendent; “You don’t know how much you need a School Chaplain, until after you get one!”
Stay tuned for more chaplain stories. Chaplains are encouraged to share their daily school experiences, which continues the education of other chaplains as well as the public.
You’re invited to support the mission: Explore: National School Chaplains Association, Enroll in NSCA Academy
About the Author:
Dorothy Kozar is a published author, public speaker and holds a Masters degree from Duke University. Functioning as an editorial writer for National School Chaplain Association (NSCA), she enjoys writing and being a Certified Chaplain after retiring from 32 years as a board certified CRNFA surgical nurse. Ultimately, became self-employed Acute Care Nurse Practitioner providing peri-operative patient care. Then she rounded out her career, as director of the Department of Robotic Surgery. Serving as Legislative Liaison for Operating Room Nurses, led to the passing of a bill in the N.C. House. Met with legislators at D.C. and spoke there at a national nursing convention. Dorothy seeks to be an agent of change in supporting godly standards in schools, culture, local and national government. Likewise, as an ordained minister, a wife, mother and grandmother; her heart is to calibrate, educate and celebrate by demonstrating the freedom; whereby Christ has made us free. Editorial PageSupport